Check
out our NEW FREE online resources, including the SQ3R
sheet for reading
and the Paragraph
Graphic Organizer for writing. These are forms you
can fill in online and print, or have your students fill them in
and print them for class!

"Corporal
Punishment can harm your relation with your student more than
you can expect. You will get hatred in return for sure"

(Sewani,
M. 2009)

"A
Creative Teacher is one, who uses logic, before making any
judgment."

(Sewani,
M. 2009)

In
the previous series of articles on Corporal Punishment, I tried to
define Corporal Punishment; explained the reasons for using corporal
punishment; explored its consequences and shared few real examples from
the lives of the victims of Corporal Punishment.

I agree that discipline is necessary for the productive future of our
students; but punishment is never the best way to maintain it. The
effects and deep scars of Corporal Punishment are dangerous, as it might
ruin our students' lives. A teacher must understand that the students are human,
not demons. So try to be humble rather than rude. Teachers have no
rights to punish students for maintaining discipline. Students consider
teachers as their role models, but it takes no time for them to consider
the teacher as a devil.

Corporal
Punishment is a taboo which brings out nothing but insanity. It is the
intentional infliction of physical pain for the purpose of punishment.

In my previous articles, I exposed out few bitter examples of Corporal
Punishment. Here is one more incident:

An 11-year-old girl died after her teacher severely punished her for
failing to answer a question in class. Shano was in a coma and was
undergoing treatment for “ventilatory failure” in the intensive care
unit (ICU) of the Lok
Nayak
Hospital. The incident occurred at the MCD
Girls
Primary School
in Bawana of Outer Delhi
on Wednesday. A student of Class
III
, Shano had reportedly failed in the final examinations earlier this
year. In the class, the police said, her teacher Manju reportedly asked
her to translate a word into English. As she did not have an answer,
Manju allegedly made her “sit like a hen” outside the class in the
scorching heat. The girl started bleeding from the nose after a while
and fainted. Shano’s younger sisters, who study in Class II in the
same school, ran home at 1 pm, after the school got over, and informed
their mother, Rihanna, about the incident.

I do remember one of our teachers, who insulted and punished me because
I asked her to return my jumbo art book. She stole 4 books of mine and
threatened me not to complain to the Principal.

Sears, Macoby, and Levin (1957) found that warm, affectionate mothers
reported that their spanking was an effective method of discipline,
while cold, hostile mothers indicated that spanking was ineffective.

Here are some of the alternatives to Corporal Punishment, which
you can adopt:

A teacher must take training to understand the social and
emotional aspects of teaching and learning.

A teacher must set some rules in the class in the beginning of
the academic years. The rules should be decided with the equal
representation of the students.

A teacher must learn to control their temper.

A teacher should act like a normal being rather than a dictator.

A teacher must accept their mistakes rather punishing students.

A teacher should avoid giving over loaded homework to their
students. If teachers are keen to do so, then they must try this
trick on his/her own self.

A teacher must learn the psychology of their students before
making any judgment.

A teacher must avoid taking family revenge from the students.

If a student does make a mistake, try to teach them what is right.

Create a child friendly environment in your classroom.

Use discipline codes which are fair and consistently enforced,
emphasizing positive behaviors of students.

Use a lot of love when you discipline your students.

Lastly, the more corporal punishment a child receives, the more likely
the child will demonstrate physical aggression against an individual
outside of the family.

Munir Moosa Sewani is one of the most famous, prominent and creative names in the field of Education
in the past 9 years. He is a Master Trainer In Special Education, Post Graduate, Teacher Educator and a Teacher. He is a Freelance Writer and Photographer, in addition to his role as a featured writer for StarTeaching's newsletter for more than two years now. He is an author of the famous self-published storybook for children titled "The MORAL STORIES FOR CHILDREN" and has also written a Biology book for Secondary Classes. He has written more than 40 articles dealing with social, health, educational and cultural issues, which are internationally recognized and published in famous world wide websites, newsletters, magazines and newspapers.

He is also a Social worker, private tutor, career counselor, musician, lyrics writer and
has multi-dimensional talents. His future plan is to write dozens of informative articles and to work for education and media, in order to explore hidden creativity.

Dr.
Manute is a well-renowned world traveler, guest speaker, and educational
consultant.

Dr.
Manute holds multiple degrees in several educational fields. He has
taught in
both
stateside and international school communities. He has extensive
experience (25 years) in school administration. He also has worked
at the university level, supervising teacher interns and teaching
undergraduate courses.

As
part of our NEW! Reader Response selection (asked for by our
subscribers), we are pleased to have Dr. Manute answer questions
from our readers. You
can contact Dr. Manute through the form at the end of this
article. Thanks!

Hello readers -

Dr. Manute is currently out of the country on official Department
of Education business overseas. He will resume the Reader
Response section again in late August.

Please do continue to submit your questions and queries for Dr.
Manute, and he will respond to them upon his return
stateside.

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There
are six modules designed to test the basic ability of an
individual in terms of Memory & Concentration. Needless to
say this is the most important basic skill for not just to
survive but also to thrive in this competitive environment.
Each of the six modules tests the six variants of Memory &
Concentration in an individual, namely:

1.

Picture
recognition

2.

Paired Associate
Learning

3.

Immediate Recall

4.

Serial processing

5.

Parallel
processing

6.

Recognition and
Recall

Each
of these modules runs at three different levels, from easy to
difficult.

At each level, the individual's performance is depicted as
Scores Obtained.

A feedback has been built into the software for all these 18
levels depending on the marks one scores during the
test.

Each individual can assess his/her performance any time by
clicking on "history", which gives complete details
of date and time of taking the tests, marks scored each time
and even time taken to do the test. This builds the confidence
level and encourages more participation to eventually
culminate in improvement and enhancement of memory and
concentration.

Essentially, this software is a SELF AWARENESS tool that
surely motivates the individual to realize one's capability
and seek or be receptive for improvement. Also, if repeatedly
done over a period of time works as Training tool to enhance
their capability.

This
software package is specifically designed to help young
children to learn basic skills that will help them in
school. Continued follow-up will give these young
learners success as they mature.

Three versions of the software exist:
Individual Software on either CD or Online, Family
Version Software, and an Institutional Software package.

StarTeaching wholeheartedly supports
and endorses this software. It will make a difference
with your child or student.

Accreditation is a process by which a facility's
services and operations are examined by a third-party
accrediting agency to determine if applicable standards are met.
Should the facility meet the accrediting agency's standards, the
facility receives accredited status from the accrediting agency.

In the United States, the term is most often used with reference to
schools and hospitals. Accreditation of these institutions is
performed by private nonprofit membership associations known as
accreditors. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation oversees
accrediting agencies and provides guidelines as well as resources and
relevant data. In contrast, in many other countries the authority to
operate an educational institution is at the discretion of the central
government, typically through a Ministry of Education (MOE). In these
countries, the MOE may provide functions similar to those of
accreditation body, depending on resources and government interests.

Accreditation in the U.S.

When discussing accreditation in the U.S., it is important
that the concept of accreditation not be confused with the
authority to operate. The authority to operate a school in the
U.S. is granted by the each of the states individually. As the
U.S. is federal republic, the authority of the U.S. Department
of Education does not extend to authorizing schools to
operate, to enroll students, or to award degrees. In addition,
the U.S. Department of Education is not responsible for
accreditation of institutions.

In the United States of America the accreditation of
schools has long been established as a peer review process
coordinated by accreditation commissions and the members, and
predating the U.S. Department of Education by many decades. As
noted the U.S. Department of Education itself, it does not
accredit schools. These accreditation commissions are formed,
funded, and operated by their members to create an academic
community that is self-regulating.

With the advent of the U.S. Department of Education and
under the terms of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as
amended, the U.S. Secretary of Education is required by law to
publish a list of nationally recognized accrediting agencies
that the Secretary determines to be reliable authorities as to
the quality of education or training provided by the
institutions of higher education and the higher education
programs they accredit. The federal government makes no
distinction between accreditation bodies, giving all equal
standing.

Accreditation of Certification Bodies

Organizations which certify third parties against many
official standards are themselves formally accredited by the
standards bodies, hence they are sometimes known as
"accredited certification bodies". The accreditation
process ensures that their certification practices are
acceptable i.e. they are competent to test and certify third
parties, behave ethically, employ suitable quality assurance
and other measures etc.

Examples include accredited test laboratories and
certification specialists that are permitted to issue official
certificates of compliance with physical, chemical, forensic,
quality, security or other standards.

Without accreditation, anyone would be able to issue
certificates and bad practices or incompetence might discredit
the certification process as a whole. The flip side, of
course, is that accreditation and formal processes incur
additional costs.

Michigan
’s legendary Dogman returns in
Nagual: Dawn of the Dogmen by Frank Holes, Jr.The third book in the series is a masterful blend of
fantasy and folklore, delving into the pre-dawn history of the
mysterious creature and then rushing forward to the present day.The supernatural beast is seen from two fronts.The first encounter, part of a 1700s French fur-trader’s
dream, chronicles the cultural clash between the indigenous,
prehistoric civilizations and the Nagual, the half-man,
half-canine skin-walkers, a clash where only one side can survive.We then return to the modern day as the Dogman rampages
across the fields and forests, the farms and camps of Grand
Traverse and
Benzie
Counties
in northern
Michigan
.The supernatural
beast is hunting for the remnants of its stolen, ancient treasure
that will give it immortality and unlimited power.Can two young camp counselors put an end to the chaos
without losing their lives?

Part mystery, part science fiction, Year
of the Dogman is an imaginative, compelling, and adrenaline-pumping
adventure. Author Frank Holes, Jr. takes no prisoners in creating a
diabolical creature that leaves the forest to prey on the hapless hamlet
of
Twin
Lakes
in
Northern Michigan
. When night falls, the nocturnal beast, Dogman, scares the living
daylights out of anyone he happens upon as he searches for a timeless
treasure stolen from a Native American tribe. In the midst of the chaos, a
young teacher is forced to put two and two together no matter how high the
cost to rid the village of the treacherous man-beast who thrives on
destruction and terror.

In The Haunting of Sigma,
Frank Holes, Jr. returns fans of the legendary Dogman to the wild world
of cryptozoology in
Northern Michigan
.This darker, far more
sinister prequel to Holes’s first novel fully establishes his hold
upon the imaginations of readers all over the
Midwest
. June 1987 ushers in the
hot, dry summer season, but something else far more horrifying has taken
up residence in the deep wilderness in
Kalkaska
County
.The Dogman, a supernatural
combination of canine and man, has returned to wreck havoc upon the
tiny, sleepy community of Sigma.

Based upon the
epic Greek tale of The Odyssey, yet set in the American Wild West, The Longquist Adventures: Western Odyssey chronicles the journey of a young boy and his guide through a perilous
world of dangerous encounters and fantastic creatures.It is a world of gun fights at high noon, stampedes on the great
plains, stagecoach robbery, and an ultimate showdown with a ruthless,
powerful gangster aboard a turn-of-the-century paddlewheel in the San
Francisco Bay.Can the
time-traveling boy and the law-abiding Marshal restore order to the
chaos of the American West gone truly wild?

New
Teachers' Niche:
A Place for New Teachers, Student Teachers, and Interns

Writing
Paragraphs

by
Frank
Holes, Jr.
Educational Consultant

Writing paragraphs in our school's program
means following a specific rubric. We teach the students to use
the same format and steps. We follow the five-step writing
process, focusing on brainstorming, drafting, and
revision.

Paragraph writing for us means drafting, which will be full of
mistakes and correctible areas (which we can edit later on). When first
introduced, students will be practicing writing paragraphs every day
until they master the format we use. Then we will shift focus from
format to working closely on organization, then to content, and finally
to writing conventions.

The first step is brainstorming. We require a specific number of
'triggers' for each topic. Students generally choose between making a
web or a list to visually show their brainstorming. For example, our 7th
graders must include eight triggers, while seniors must have at least
fifteen. You and your school will decide what is appropriate. Then all
triggers are ORGANIZED by order of importance, chronological order, etc.
Students are asked to number the triggers 1- 8. Of course, students are
always encouraged to write down more triggers (sometimes we even offer
extra credit for more triggers!). We also encourage students to
freewrite as brainstorming. Students look over their prewriting and
start using their organized triggers to form the ideas presented in the
paragraph.

Students then create a topic sentence (T.S.). This is an introductory
sentence which captures the reader's attention and gives the reader an
idea of what the paragraph is about. We require students to restate the
topic in the T. S. This begins to create flow (the connectedness of
ideas and transitions) by using several key words in the topic.

At least three body sentences follow (we require six in the 7th grade).
These will include details and examples, as well as data in the form of
facts or statistics. Make sure these all support the topic sentence. The
body sentences also will include a personal life experience (PLE) which
connects the topic to the writer's life or to a real-life situation (7th
graders must have two sentences for each PLE). We've found, in
particular, that papers with a well developed PLE scored much higher on
the MEAP than those without a PLE. The body sentences must connect to
the topic sentences, and be sure their details flow in a logical manner.

Finally, wrap up the paragraph with a CLINCHER STATEMENT. This again
restates the topic, brings closure to the paragraph, and summarizes the
ideas presented. The clincher should leave the reader satisfied that
he/she understands what was presented in the paragraph. It may also
leave the reader wanting more, and provide a means to find more
information. The clincher may also be a transition to another paragraph
or subject.

Always have your students write a title for the paragraph. This is
really an advanced skill, requiring students to think about what they
really wrote and condense down the ideas into a short phrase that must
also catch the reader's attention. It's a great skill to practice each
time they write.

COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: How long is a typical paragraph required for class?
A: This is always hotly debated among teachers. We have set limits at
each grade level, based on what our MEAP requires and a progression up
the grades. These minimums ensure our students are forced to include
examples and details to enhance the paragraph's supports. Our 5th
graders must write at least 40 words in each paragraph (as always, they
can always write more). In the 6th grade, 80 words are required. At 7th
grade, students must write 100 words, and at 8th grade it is 125 words.
There are also sentence requirements. A 5th grade paragraph must have at
least 5 sentences (topic sentence, body/support sentences, and a
clincher). 6th graders must have 6 sentences, while 7th and 8th graders
must include at least 8 sentences

Q: How much time do we give students to write out a paragraph?
A: The paragraph structure was developed in response to the demands of
the MEAP test (Michigan's high stakes test) as well as to our own
school's curriculum and class needs. We wanted a structure that could be
easily learned and remembered (by both students and staff). It had to be
versatile enough (and adaptable) to use at any grade level or course.
And it needed to allow for students to make it their own – we believe
it promotes students' creativity, writing style, and voice while giving
them a structure that nearly guarantees success. Thus, it had to be
written in a fairly short span of time to allow for students to proof
and edit. Brainstorming & organizing should take no more than five
minutes (most of our students can do it in under a minute with
practice!). The whole paragraph can be written in fifteen minutes or
less (again with practice). We NEVER let these go home, and they're
always due in class. Students cannot take their MEAP tests home to
finish, remember! Time frames start out longer at first, but then we
shorten the time as they become more proficient.

Q: How much do you worry about mistakes in spelling, grammar, mechanics,
etc.?
A: Remember, this is drafting. We always encourage the students to be
careful about what they write. However, we want them focusing on the
structure and the logical flow of ideas. Corrections can be made if/when
we revise and proof for a final copy.

Q: Doe the PLE have to come at the end of the paragraph?
A: Certainly not! It should be inserted where it makes the most sense in
the paragraph. Think about how that story will fit in the flow of ideas
in the paragraph. PLEs can even occur in the beginning of the paragraph;
we call these LEADS.

Q: Can a topic sentence or clincher be more than one sentence in length?
A: We try to keep these at one sentence in our younger grades, but as
students become more mature writers, it is expected that they will
attempt and experiment with developing their own personal style. If a
middle school student asked about this, I'd ask back, "Why do you
need more than one sentence?" If there is a compelling reason, I
wouldn't have a problem.

Be sure to check out our website for more great
information, tips, and techniques for new teachers,
student-teachers, and interns in teacher prep programs. Also be
sure to check out our Who-I-Want-To-Be teacher plan for
preparing yourself to enter the educational profession. Simply
click the following link: http://www.starteaching.com/free.htm

Kim
Taylor-DiLeva is an educational trainer and owner of Kim’s
Signing Solutions (www.kimssigningsolutions.com).She conducts parent and teacher workshops throughout
New York
State
and conducts sign language enrichment classes for daycares and
preschools in the
Albany
,
NY
area.

You’ve
heard of the benefits of using American Sign Language in your
classroom with your hearing students and you’re interested in giving
it a try, but you don’t know where to begin.Here are 7 tips to get you started:

Most
importantly, enjoy the fun that comes with incorporating American
Sign Language into your classroom routine. Simply begin with only
one or two words that relate to your curriculum or that would
benefit the entire class.Every
day/week/month try to add one or two more signs; whatever will
work best for you. This does not mean you have to learn the entire
language, just add more signs as you are familiar enough with the
ones you have already learned.

Always
remember to say and sign a word together when you introduce a new
sign. Once your students know a sign, you can start using it more
regularly by giving them directions only using that sign, without
speaking. This is a sure way to maintain a quiet classroom.The less talking you do, the less talking your students
will do.{Plus
they’ll have to pay better attention to you or they might miss a
direction.)

You do not
need to teach ASL as a separate course. Simply incorporate signs
into your current daily routine. Do not make more work for
yourself by making it something extra. You only need to teach the
signs for words you already say and use in the classroom.

Try to stay
ahead of your students with your sign knowledge.Your students will enjoy learning new signs and will often
request the sign for words you have not taught yet. I would advise
you to have an American Sign Language Dictionary available for
this reason. For those who work with elementary age children and
younger, I suggest you read another article I wrote called
“American Sign Language Dictionaries for Kids Online,” which
can be seen here:http://www.brighthub.com/education/special/articles/3230.aspx.This article is a review of online American Sign Language
dictionaries that would be appropriate for your students to search
in order to learn new signs (these would be sites that do not
include inappropriate signs for their age).

If you are
interested, a course in American Sign Language may be helpful, but
it is not necessary to get started.Again, this can be done at a slower pace. Once you do know
a lot of signs and would like to become more advanced, I do
recommend taking a course.You
can take good ASL courses online from your own home at your
preferred pace for a reasonable price at www.signingonline.com.

Lastly,
begin with the most important keywords.While I do suggest learning the manual alphabet, there is
no need to be overwhelmed at the start by trying to learn these 26
letters. Simply begin with a few words that will be most useful in
your classroom and continue from there.

Should
you need help during your sign language journey, please visit my
website at www.kimssigningsolutions.com.
You may find some other helpful information on the site and can find
my contact information there as well (in case my site doesn’t answer
your question.)Good luck
and I commend you on your efforts to help your students to succeed!

A Great Offer
to Our StarTeaching Readers
From Kim's Signing Solutions!

Star
Teaching Readers Get a Special Discount on a set ofMy
1st 50 Sight Words in SignRegularly
12.95, You Pay ONLY 9.95.
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Be sure to check out our website for more great
information, tips, and techniques for new teachers,
student-teachers, and interns in teacher prep programs. Also be
sure to check out our Who-I-Want-To-Be teacher plan for
preparing yourself to enter the educational profession. Simply
click the following link: http://www.starteaching.com/free.htm

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School or District Who Would Love to Receive Our Newsletter?

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"We'll
See"

Author Unknown

Themes
on Life

Do we react or overreact to situations?

Once upon a time, there was a farmer in the central region of China. He
didn't have a lot of money and, instead of a tractor, he used an old horse
to plow his field.

One afternoon, while working in the field, the horse dropped dead. Everyone
in the village said, "Oh, what a horrible thing to happen." The
farmer said simply, "We'll see." He was so at peace and so calm,
that everyone in the village got together and, admiring his attitude, gave
him a new horse as a gift.

A couple days later, the new horse jumped a fence and ran away. Everyone in
the village shook their heads and said, "What a poor fellow!"

The farmer smiled and said, "We'll see."

Eventually, the horse found his way home, and everyone again said,
"What a fortunate man."

The farmer said, "We'll see."

Later in the year, the farmer's young boy went out riding on the horse and
fell and broke his leg. Everyone in the village said, "What a shame for
the poor boy."

The farmer said, "We'll see."

Two days later, the army came into the village to draft new recruits. When
they saw that the farmer's son had a broken leg, they decided not to recruit
him.

Everyone said, "What a fortunate young man."

The farmer smiled again - and said "We'll see."

Moral of the story: There's no use in overreacting to the events and
circumstances of our everyday lives. Many times what looks like a setback,
may actually be a gift in disguise. And when our hearts are in the right
place, all events and circumstances are gifts that we can learn valuable
lessons from.

As Fra Giovanni once said: "Everything we call a trial, a
sorrow, or a duty, believe me... the gift is there and the wonder of an
overshadowing presence."

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